Martyrs Xiong and Fan Memorial Shrine

Martyrs Xiong and Fan Memorial Shrine

The Martyrs Xiong and Fan Memorial Shrine is a cultural relic protection unit of Anhui Province.

The Martyrs Xiong and Fan Memorial Shrine is located on Yanjiang East Road in Anqing City, adjacent to Yingjiang Temple.

Originally built as Ciyun Pavilion in the third year of the Kangxi reign (1664), it was reconstructed as the Memorial Shrine of Ying Guomin in the 27th year of the Guangxu reign (1901). In the first year of the Republic of China, the Anhui Provincial Government converted it into the “Martyrs Xiong and Fan Memorial Shrine” in honor of democratic revolution martyrs Xiong Chengji and Fan Chuanjia. The building features an elegant and classic design with a majestic presence.

Xiong Chengji (1887–1910) was a democratic revolutionary in the late Qing Dynasty. His courtesy name was Weigen, and he was from Ganquan (now Yangzhou), Jiangsu. He graduated from the Jiangnan Artillery School and successively joined the Restoration Society and the Tongmenghui. He was arrested and killed while attempting to assassinate Zaixun in Harbin. In 1902, he entered the Anhui Military Preparatory School, later transferring to the Nanyang Artillery School. After graduation, he was assigned as an artillery platoon leader in the 9th New Army Regiment, then transferred to serve as an officer in the cavalry and artillery units of the Anhui New Army Mixed Brigade. He participated in revolutionary groups such as the Yuewanghui in Anhui and the Restoration Society in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. After the failure of Xu Xilin’s uprising in Anqing in 1907, the Yuewanghui decided to launch another revolt, appointing him as the overall commander. In the winter of 1908, the Qing court ordered the Nanyang New Army and Hubei New Army to gather in Taihu, Anhui, for autumn military exercises. Coinciding with the successive deaths of Emperor Guangxu and Empress Dowager Cixi, he took the opportunity to launch an uprising of the Anhui New Army. After its failure, he fled to Tokyo. He returned to China in 1910 and continued revolutionary activities in the northeast. In January 1910, Xiong Chengji plotted to assassinate Zaixun, the Qing court’s Naval Inspection Minister, and Sa Zhenbing, but was betrayed by Zang Guansan for profit. On January 30, Xiong Chengji was arrested. In prison, he wrote his own confession: “If I die one day earlier, our tree of freedom will be nourished by one more day of blood. The earlier it is nourished, the more it will thrive, and the sooner its blossoms will bloom.” On February 27, 1910, Xiong Chengji, who had organized the Anqing Uprising, said before his execution, “This life is over. May China grow stronger day by day after my death—then I can rest in peace.”

Fan Chuanjia (1873 – November 19, 1908) was a democratic revolutionary in the late Qing Dynasty. An ethnic Han from Shouzhou (now Shouxian), Anhui, he was one of the initiators of China’s earliest revolutionary uprising, the “Anqing Cavalry and Artillery Barracks Uprising.” In February 1904, he arrived in Anqing and joined the garrison forces stationed there. Together with Bai Wenwei, he organized the “Classmates Association,” serving as a squad leader in the cavalry and artillery barracks. He promoted revolutionary ideas and organized a group of committed individuals to prepare for an armed anti-Qing struggle. He joined the Chinese Tongmenghui in 1905 and was later selected for the Engineering School, where he was sent to the Nanjing Military Preparatory School. Upon returning to Anhui, he served as captain of the engineering team and secretly plotted anti-Qing revolution. Later, he went to Nanjing, where he met Zhao Sheng and others, preparing to jointly launch an uprising. In 1908, the Qing court assembled the Hubei 8th Regiment, the Jiangnan 9th Regiment, the Anhui 31st Mixed Brigade, and the New Army for joint military exercises in Taihu, Anhui. With the successive deaths of Emperor Guangxu and Empress Dowager Cixi, they saw this as a prime opportunity for an uprising and agreed with Xiong Chengji to launch the revolt in Anqing. On the night of November 19, 1908, the Anqing Uprising began. Xiong Chengji led the cavalry and artillery forces from outside the city to initiate the revolt and advanced toward the city walls. Fan attempted to support from within the city but failed, was arrested, and was executed heroically at the age of 35. In January 1912, the first year of the Republic of China, the Anhui Military Governor’s Office allocated funds, and the Huaining County Magistrate’s Office converted the nearby Ying Public Shrine (originally Ciyun Pavilion) beside Yingjiang Temple in Anqing into the “Martyrs Xiong and Fan Memorial Shrine” for commemoration. The current Anqing Museum is the former site of the “Martyrs Xiong and Fan Memorial Shrine.”